French President Emmanuel Macron says he remains hopeful that national team captain Kylian Mbappé will be able to play for his country at the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.

With just over three and a half months to go until the Paris 2024 Games, there are still uncertainties surrounding the defence system designed to protect Paris from a hypothetical attack at the Opening Ceremony, when more than 300,000 people will gather with the eyes of the world upon them.

The French Minister for Sport and the Olympic Games, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, has denied to deputies that there were any "hidden costs" or "budgetary abuses" in the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. "There are no hidden costs or budget abuses. These Olympic Games are the least expensive since Sydney in 2000," the minister assured.

Pierre de Coubertin, the controversial founder of the modern Olympic Games, will have his own wax figure in Paris, the Grevin Museum has announced in the run-up to the sporting extravaganza.

The streets of the French capital will be the scene of a popular marathon this Sunday, with around 54,000 people taking part. The route will be different from the Olympic event, but it will serve as an appetizer, with Ethiopia's Abeje Ayana and Kenya's Vivian Cheruiyot the favourites.

A French international diver laughed off an embarrassing mishap in front of President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, when he fell off the diving board and crashed into the water at the inauguration of the aquatics centre for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Last Thursday, President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the Olympic Aquatic Centre, but behind the flashes and smiles of the opening ceremony was a complex story that saw the budget increase by more than €115 million and the number of events reduced.

The Kremlin on Friday denounced as "unacceptable" French President Emmanuel Macron's claims that Russia was trying to undermine the Paris Olympics through a disinformation campaign. Macron said on Thursday that Moscow was trying to promote the narrative that France was incapable of hosting the Games and that the event would be a risk.

French President Emmanuel Macron has defended Franco-Malian singer Aya Nakamura against criticism from the far-right who oppose her performance at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Speaking to the press after the inauguration of the Paris 2024 Aquatics Centre, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that there is a Plan B for the opening ceremony, but called for greater confidence to reassure the public about possible terrorist attacks.

French President Macron warned last Thursday of the danger of Russian disinformation during the Paris Olympics, saying his country was ready for the challenge. "I don't doubt" that the Games will be targeted by Russia, "including in the field of information," Macron said at the inauguration of the Aquatic Centre, the largest sports facility built for next summer's Olympics.  

The President of the French Republic inaugurated the Seine-Saint-Denis Olympic Aquatics Centre in the city of Saint-Denis, next to the Porte de la Chapelle Arena, which was built specifically for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Health agency has warned of the risk of importing the disease as France will welcome millions of foreign visitors during the Olympic Games, according to AFP, in a new worry for the Organising Committee chaired by Tony Estanguet.

To realise his dream, the Filipino boxing superstar proposed that the age of eligibility for the Olympic Games be raised "from 40 to 50". The Philippines submitted the request to the IOC, but it was rejected. However, the boxer continues to pursue a faded dream.

More than 4,000 children gather at the Porte de La Chapelle arena for the launch of Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Week, with educational activities for more than 2 million young people across France.